Getting Real
(NEW YORK) Designers, agents and fashion insiders including Donna Karan, Doo-Ri Chung, Francisco Costa, Anna Wintour, Phillip Lim, Trish Goff, Patrick Robinson, Rag & Bone's David Neville and Marcus Wainwright, Tabitha Simmons, and Marchesa's Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig gathered at the Milk Studios Penthouse to attend a discussion sponsored by the CFDA entitled "The Beauty of Health: How the Fashion Industry Can Make a Difference."
Featuring guest speakers CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg along with Michael Kors and Coco Rocha, the 45-minute discussion was an effort to further the 2007 Health Initiative addressing the prevalence of eating disorders and unhealthy standards in the modeling industry. An emphatic Kors kicked off the discussion, reminding the audience of the far-reaching influence of the fashion industry on the "Hollywood aesthetic" and women and girls everywhere.
Casting agent James Scully acknowledged the power of those in his field and their need to "consider the weight of their words." "Let's stop treating models like greyhounds they shoot after a race," he deadpanned. Rocha passionately described a day in the life of a model and the "constant hunger" and "unbearable pressure" to stay thin. She recounted being told that, at 5' 10" and 108 pounds, that she "needed to lose more weight...the look this year is anorexic and while we don't want you to be anorexic, you need to look it." "Last year I took diuretic pills on an empty stomach," she revealed. "I was doubled over for hours." Nian Fish, creative director of KCD and chair of the CFDA Health Initiative, further lamented the "anorexic look" of the modeling industry, noting that "a size zero means you're invisible. It's time to admit that we've all been drinking the Kool-Aid."
The discussion focused on solutions, and many had ideas. Kors advised the industry to "treat models as humans, not mannequins" and to "stay away from child-size clothes unless you're designing for children." Rocha had four suggestions: to "make the fit model a bit bigger," consider the long-term impact of eating disorders, encourage agencies to work with doctors and nutritionists and provide healthy food at shows. "After all," she joked, "no one wants to be caught with the 'model eats cake' photo."
Ivan Bart, senior vice president of IMG Models, cited today's runway standards as a reason for the lack of supermodels. "Models get tired of walking and being in that atmosphere," he explained. "To create supermodels, you need longevity on the runway."
Overall, the forum anticipated a bright future. "Modeling offers great opportunities," Fish noted. "They can go on to be actors, singers, photographers," she said. "And marry a rich man."
JANE PIERCE
